Twilight Shimmerings
by Heartsky
Summary: After the events of Equestria Girls, Sunset Shimmer is desperately trying to find her way back to Equestria to warn the subjects about a danger to their land. Meanwhile, Equestria seems as peaceful as ever, until strange creatures begin to invade the land. Twilight must find a way to stop these animals before they destroy her home. The two mares are destined to meet yet again...
1. Prologue

**Hello! So, this is my first pony fanfiction! Yay! Anyways, this story is a collaboration with Aquamarine1212. The prologue was written by both of us (first half was me, second half was Aqua) and after this we'll take turns writing chapters. (: **

**We do not own My Little Pony.**

I hid behind a crumbling, ruined wall, hugging myself as if that would help me somehow. I pushed a strand of blaze-red hair behind my ear, closed my eyes, and tried to clear my head and get ahold of myself. My mind was in a fog, and it seemed impossible to comprehend what had just happened.

The entryway to the school was in shambles. An entire wall was gone, there were cracks in the staircase railing, and bricks were scattered all over the cement stairs. _I did this._ That was certainly a tough pill to swallow. I hadn't even known I was capable of such damage. _**Why**__ did I do this?_

My head began to throb. Thinking for myself was painful. I hadn't been able to fully think for myself in what felt like ages.

When I heard voices coming from the yard in front of the school, I peeked out from behind the wall. There stood a group of other students, their skin a veritable rainbow of colors: white, pink, yellow, blue, purple, and orange. Speaking of rainbows, these were the very people who had just blasted me with one of the multi-colored terrors.

Normally, I didn't have anything against rainbows. Normally, I loved vibrant colors and the brilliance of sunlight. Normally, I thought that night was too solemn and quiet. But as the moon rose and twilight took firm hold of the sky, I felt relief. Now, bright colors seemed painful, seemed falsely happy. In the shadow and the calm, I fit in, I felt as if I could just fade into the night and forget what I had done.

I snapped out of my reverie when I noticed one of the girls walking away from the others, toward the base of the horse statue in front of the school, toward the portal that would take her to..._Equestria!_

My mind cleared a bit and my heart began to ache with longing. My homeland!

As the girl-who was named Twilight Sparkle-began to wave to her friends, I felt the urge to run after her and ask her to bring me back with her. I didn't belong here. I belonged in Equestria.

But before I could do something so foolish I reigned myself in. I couldn't go back. I had done a lot of harm here and I had to help clean up the mess I had made. Going back without doing so would be selfish, and would only prove to Twilight that I was as bad as I seemed.

I sighed, resigned to my punishment. I stared as she stepped through the horse statue's base. _Thirty moons._ That's how long I would be stuck here before I got another chance to go back.

As Twilight Sparkle stepped through the portal, I suddenly noticed eerie, glowing orbs floating toward her, following her into the portal. At first I thought they might be fireflies, but there was something about them that wasn't quite right. Their light wasn't warm. It was cold and white, piercing. There was something..._ghostly_...about them.

Suddenly, my mind was struck with a bolt of clarity.

"NO!" I screamed and started to run towards the portal and reached out my orange hand, desperate to stop those little orbs of light.

This wasn't the first time I had seen those orbs.

The first time had been ages ago, back when I could still think for myself, back when I had been Celestia's student. I had been studying very hard, trying to impress Celestia. I asked her how much longer I would have to study in order to be a princess.

It was something I had secretly hoped for ever since I became her student. I tried to keep my hope to myself, but when she said I was doing brilliantly, well, I couldn't resist asking.

She told me that becoming a princess was not something she could simply teach me. It was something I would have to _earn_ by using what she taught me to do something worthy of the title. I asked her what, exactly, I would have to do, but she said it was something I had to figure out for myself.

So, I started looking in books for ideas. I came across a book about creating portals, which was something ponies had been trying to do for ages, but as of yet, there were no known successes.

So that's what I decided to do. Creating a portal to an entire new world would surely be enough to make me a princess, or at least that's what I thought.

I didn't tell Celestia what I was doing. I wanted it to be a surprise.

For months, every spare moment I had I would work on creating a portal. I slept little and grew very tired and weary. Celestia was concerned, but I did my best to assure her I was fine. I was too stubborn to reveal my secret project before it was complete.

And then I did succeed. One day, I managed to create a portal in my room. And little glowing white lights flew out of it.

I stared at them, mesmerized. They flew about my room, almost as if they were some sort of insect. Some of them landed on my leg. I felt a sharp pain where they made contact with my skin, as if it were being burned.

It was horrendous. I quickly caught the lights in a jar to trap them, and did a few healing and anti-venom spells on myself. I even went to the palace doctor and had him treat me.

So I thought I was fine. I thought that whatever they might have done to me was taken care of. I never suspected that what they had done to me had gone deep enough to withstand treatment. My mind was wide open and vulnerable.

That was the beginning of the end.

And now, somehow, they were here, they were free, and they were following Twilight Sparkle back to Equestria, to do whatever they had done to me to others. And others might not know any healing spells. Others might not live close to a doctor.

But the portal was closed. It was too late. The girl with pink hair and skin ran toward the portal and smacked right into it, trying to follow her friend. She fell to the ground, saying "Ooooh, bummer!" My sentiments exactly.

I stared at the now closed portal, feeling helpless. I couldn't warn them now. I would just have to hope that Equestria would be able to survive on its own until I could return and warn them.

I would have to hope it could survive for _thirty moons._

* * *

_Twenty three moons later..._

I stared at myself in the mirror. My blonde mane, recently brushed, was pulled into a bun using an orange ribbon tied into a bow. My blue fur was just washed and sparkling. I was wearing a hoof-stitched dress, made by my own grandmother. A brown saddle was strapped to my back, gems lining the edges. An orange ribbon attached to the horn of the saddle was tied around my neck in a bow. Finally, an orange and brown skirt covered my rump, small bits of lace lining the edges. I turned around, looking myself up and down. The dress was beautiful, one of the best I had ever owned. I leaned forwards; checking to make sure my eyeshadow hadn't smeared. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. My first time at the gala and my first date, both in one night!

"Hey Apple Cider, looking good!" I started and turned towards the bedroom door to see my twin sister, Peachy Sweet, trotting in. Her mane was nearly identical to mine other than the fact it was a deep red color, and her fur was light green, whereas mine was light blue. She was wearing a dress as well, and although our mother had urged us to wear identical dresses, we had ended up with different ones. Peachy Sweet was never one for frills or frocks, so her dress was simple, a nice shade of brown that didn't particularly pop out, but was more subtly elegant. The sleeves were a bit lacy and a brown bow was tied in her mane, making her somewhat plain dress a bit more decorative. Small gold buttons were on the sleeves and a few other edges of the gown.

"You look great," I said with a smile.

"Thanks. Well, we're all off to the Gala," Peachy Sweet said, giving me a quick hug, "Let us know if you and Davenport run into any trouble."

"I doubt we will," I said, a blush creeping onto my cheeks at the mention of my date's name, "And tell Grandma Rose that I love the dress."

"You've already told her twice!" Peachy Sweet laughed.

"Well, tell her again, because it's beautiful," I said dreamily, looking at the dress in the mirror once again.

"Good luck on your date," Peachy Sweet said, winking and giving me a nudge, "We'll see you there." Then she trotted out of the room, her brown dress bouncing up and down as she exited. I walked over to my dresser and sprayed a bit of perfume on my neck, then absentmindedly fiddled with my bow. This was the biggest night of my life; everything had to be perfect. I sat in front the mirror for a good twenty minutes, fiddling with the lace and applying some last few bits of makeup.

Glancing at the clock I nearly had a heart attack. It was already six thirty! I was supposed to be heading down to Manehattan ten minutes ago! Grabbing a saddlebag and dumping my money into it, I quickly flew out of my room and raced down the stairs, plowing through the living room and out the door. Fumbling with the key, I managed to lock the door behind me, and then whisked around and set a brisk pace down the dirt road leading towards Manehattan from my family's apple farm, hoping my dress wouldn't get too dusty.

As I trotted down the road, thoughts flew in and out of my head. Upon arriving at Manehattan, I was going to need to find a Pegasus-drawn carriage to buy so I could make my way to Ponyville, where Davenport owned his quills and sofas store.

Davenport. We had met when I was on a trip in Ponyville with my grandma, Apple Rose, for some farming supplies. He was sweet and shy, but we had immediately clicked. Although his store sold a strange pair of merchandise; quills and sofas; he was a successful businessman, and he had a fair amount of money. _What were the chances,_ I thought to myself with a chuckle, _A country pony falling in love with a business pony from a big city?_

It was starting to get dark, and I glanced around nervously, my cheerful spirits starting to dwindle. Maybe the city was buzzing with life at night, but out in the country there were animals of every sort, wolves and coyotes and a variety of other unfriendly creatures. Just because most animals in Equestria could speak didn't mean they weren't dangerous. Wolves in particular were a constant threat against the sheep that stayed in our barn. I sped up a bit, my trot turning into more of a run. The walk to Manehattan was only ten minutes tops, so I should have been nearly halfway there. I began to chew on a loose string of my mane, a nervous habit of mine that I couldn't seem to get rid of.

_Just a bit further. Just a bit further._

Something letting off a dim glow in the corner of my eye caught my attention. I swiveled my head toward the source, my chest pounding. I felt myself almost sigh with relief when I saw that it had only been a group of fireflies. They floated almost magically in the field, making me feel calm. Something about them was captivating, almost hypnotic.

I was about to continue down the road when one of the fireflies flew nearer. I watched with wide blue eyes as it continued to get closer. A shiver suddenly ran through my body, and my warm thoughts turned cold. The firefly; well, it wasn't a firefly. I had seen fireflies before, and I ought to know what one looked like. These odd balls of light were casting off a white, cold light, something terribly different from the warm yellow light of fireflies.

I began to briskly walk down the road, hoping that maybe if I just continued walking the strange white fireflies would stay where they were and draw no closer. I didn't like the look of them. They weren't natural, and I, being a country pony, was always suspicious of anything that didn't fit into nature. The twilight light was growing dimmer, and as I glanced back I saw the white fireflies were growing brighter and drawing close to each other, forming a tight swarm that normal animals never would do so efficiently. Definitely not fireflies.

After a few more paces, I looked back again and nearly screamed. The swarm was now moving together in a tight formation, headed straight for me. Silent and swift, they drew nearer and nearer. I let out a neigh of terror, then bolted down the path, going as fast as my hooves would take me. Trees passed by in a blur, and my dress tore as my hooves tripped over the gown. Those things were not fireflies. Not in the least.

I screeched as a small white orb of light landed on my foreleg. It stung where it had touched my skin, as if it had burned right through and into the bone. I nipped it off, and it shot back into the air, joining its comrades in the swarm looming above my head. What were these tiny horrors?!

The white fireflies descended onto me, clinging to my skin and burning me. I neighed frantically, skidding to a halt and beginning to buck around crazily, ruining my dress. Were they burning me? Poisoning me? Sucking my blood? I didn't know, but it hurt like nothing I had ever felt. They were all over me, turning me a luminous shade of white. My bucking was growing weaker now, weaker and slower, and I gasped in a desperate breath, my thoughts growing blurry and fogged. I could hardly remember where I was anymore or what I was doing. There was one clear picture in my mind as I collapsed onto the ground, my eyes starting to flutter shut. A handsome, smiling stallion filled my thoughts and made my heart ache with longing. _Davenport._

Then the world spiraled into blackness.


	2. Chapter 1

**I do not own MLP.**

"May we present, Princess Twilight Sparkle!"

The room erupted into cheers and I could feel a blush creeping onto my cheeks. I looked down at the crowds of ponies cheering for me and I couldn't stop a smile from creeping onto my lips. My smile grew broader as five familiar mares trotted up next to me.

"Congratulations Princess," the orange mare said, bumping her head against my flank in a friendly gesture. Her blonde mane was flying in the breeze and she raised a hoof to keep her tan cowgirl hat on her head.

"If anyone's ever deserved this, it's you," the blue pegasus on my right said, her magenta eyes glittering and her multi colored mane wisping around her neck.

"It's a little embarrassing," I admitted, "This is supposed to be the Grand Galloping Gala, not the Princess Twilight celebration."

"Oh, the gala never had much success anyways, remember?" the white unicorn scoffed. Her long eyelashes complimented her striking blue eyes, and her purple mane was curled to perfection, "Besides, I don't hear anyone but you complaining. You don't always have to be humble Twilight. This is your night to shine! You've defeated countless brutes, you deserve a bit praise! Enjoy it!"

"What could go wrong Twily? This party was planned by the two best party planners in the ENTIRE world, me and Cheese Sandwich!" a very pink earth mare piped up, her voice high pitched and cheery, "Nobody will forget this gala!"

"Go enjoy yourself," the shy gold pegasus said quietly, smiling slightly as her pink mane fell into her eyes, "You defeated Tirek; I think that warrants a bit of celebration."

"Thanks guys," I said, flashing smiles at each of my friends, "Everything I am today is thanks to you. I wouldn't have ever dreamed having you guys as friends would change my life in such drastic ways!"

"Pish posh, give yourself a bit of credit," the white unicorn said, "Now then, enough chit chat, Equestria is waiting." She nudged me forwards gently, and after sending her a warm glance, I trotted forwards onto the very edge of the balcony, looking down at the crowd of equines. The variety of colors was astounding, ponies colored all shades of the rainbow. As for me, I was a light, paleish shade of purple, with a deep violet mane. A single pink streak ran through my mane and tail that I had just spend hours styling this morning. I swallowed, hard. I may have looked like a princess today, but I also had to sound and act like one. I cleared my throat, tapping on the microphone with my muzzle to ensure that it worked. The ballroom immediately turned silent, all eyes on me.

"Welcome to the Grand Galloping Gala," I said, my heart throbbing in my chest. There were a few cheers, but the room remained mostly silent, "Um….I'm Princess Twilight." Internally I groaned. Way to state the obvious, Twi. Ok, get a hold of yourself. You can do this.

"The Grand Galloping Gala has never been a success in the past, but this year will be different," I said, my confidence growing, "I want everyone to have fun, alright? Let's make this the best gala in pony history!" The room erupted into cheers as the ponies shared excited glances. The dresses this year were less formal, but no less beautiful, thanks to Rarity, my unicorn friend. She had come out with a whole line of dresses specifically for the gala, and they had instantly become the next big thing. Nearly everypony in the room was wearing something designed by her. The dresses were pretty, yet functional. They'd need to be; after all, Pinkie had planned out the party. Who knew what sorts of ridiculous games there would be? The crowd began to shift around and drift apart. Not a long speech, I thought, But a good one.

"And don't forget to wish the Princess a happy week-before-her-birthday!" Pinkie Pie, the pink earth pony, suddenly jumped up to the microphone, her crazy mane flying. I immediately pushed Pinkie back, my cheeks growing warm. I didn't want more attention than I already had. She stuck out her tongue at me, not in an angry way, a more playful gesture, before we trotted back to our friends.

"So, what do you guys wanna do first?" Pinkie said, bouncing up and down. Her gaze flickered between all her friends in a split second, her smile wide and near irresistible. Before I could respond, a brown stallion nearly ran into me, skidding to halt just in front of me.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle," he panted, giving me a quick bow. I frowned, but before I could tell him that he really didn't need to bow before speaking, he had already began to to talk in a fast paced tone.

"I really hate to disturb your evening Princess," he said, his green eyes filled with panic, "But this is an emergency. Cider is missing." I blinked, tilting my head curiously.

"Have you checked around the castle?" I asked, sharing a quick glance with my friends.

"Princess, she never arrived. She promised to meet me in Ponyville, but she never came. I came here, thinking she may have just come with her family, but they told me she had left for Manehattan as planned," the brown pony said miserably, "I'm afraid she may have run into trouble. Please, you have to help me find her."

I shared a glanced with Applejack, the orange colored earth pony. Apple Cider was one of her many relatives that were scattered across Equestria, and AJ would know exactly what we were dealing with. Apple Jack's face had turned pale, and that's when I realized it was serious.

"Apple Cider never breaks a promise," Applejack said, trotting up to the two of us, "She's been goin' on bout' the gala for months now. She wouldn't miss this thing for the world."

"This sounds serious," I said, placing a hoof comfortingly on the brown stallion's shoulder, "Of course I'll help." The pony's eyes immediately brightened.

"So you're gonna miss the party?" Pinkie Pie asked, her ears drooping in disappointment.

"What choice do I have? I'm a princess now, it's my duty to act in the best interest of all my subjects," I sighed, giving Pinkie a quick hug, "I'll come back as soon as I can."

"I'm comin' with," Applejack said, stepping forwards boldly, "Apple Cider's mah second cousin. I'd hate it if anything happened to the mite." I nodded, not even attempting to protest. When AJ had her mind made up, there was no deterring her. The two of us sent smiles back at our friends as we trotted away.

"Good luck!" Rainbow Dash, the blue pegasus, cried out as she flapped mid air.

"Get back as soon as you can!" Rarity called out elegantly.

"YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT BACK TO THE PARTY!" Pinkie Pie howled. I rolled my eyes, but a smile was tugging at my lips. Fluttershy, my other pegasus friend, just sent us a kind smile before we turned the corner and they were out of our sight.

"So, you really think Apple Cider is in danger?" I asked, my expression turning sour as soon as we were out of the others sight. AJ sent me a furtive look of concern.

"Yeah," she said, taking a deep breath and shaking out her mane, "Yeah, most definitely."

* * *

I swallowed nervously as I looked down at the ground, hundreds of feet below. I had asked a few pegasi guards if they would be willing to bring me and AJ out to her relatives farm, and they had readily agreed. I suppose if I had wanted I could have just ordered them to do so, but I still didn't like the idea of having so much power over the ponies of Equestria. I didn't like to look at them as lessers. I mean, come'on, my best friends were smart, talented brave; they deserved as much respect as I did.

I glanced over at Applejack. Her face had turned a sick shade of green, and it wouldn't be long now before she had to take another a hurl over the side. I almost laughed. AJ had never liked flying, or magic for that matter. She was too down-to-earth to really care much for any of that.

"You all right?" I asked. Applejack sent me a mournful glance.

"Mmm, yeah," she choked out, her cheeks puffing up. I raised an eyebrow, but said nothing more, just turned my attention back to the landscape. Turned out Apple Cider's family lived on farm up past Manehattan, a good half hour from Canterlot as the pegasus flies.

"We should be getting close now," I said, but when there was no response I turned to see Applejack vomiting over the side of the carriage. I felt a stab of pity for whatever poor creature it happened to land on, but it couldn't be helped. There were a few more minutes of hacking, then Applejack came back up, looking awful.

"I never liked flying," she said in hoarse voice, "Always made me sick."

"We're almost there," I assured her, "According the map, it should be just under us in a minute."

"Down there!" Applejack cried, pointing downwards. I glanced over the edge to see an old farmhouse standing tall and proud in the middle of the countryside. It was painted blue and had brown shingles covering the roof. It looked humble and cozy, the way I found most farmhouses seemed to look.

"Land over there, next to that house," I told the pegasi guards. They gave me a nod, then began to spiral downwards. Applejack was starting to turn green again as we went round and round, slowly, closing in the on house. But she managed to hold back the vomit until we landed, where she quickly exited the carriage and turned to puke into the bushes. I rolled my eyes. Honestly, I had had to learn to fly, and I hadn't puked once. We had just been being carried along in a airborne carriage.

"It's a good thing you aren't a pegasus," I joked to AJ as she emerged from the bushes, "We'd have ponies all over Equestria complaining about your puke landing on their heads." Applejack scrunched up her nose in disgust, but didn't respond as she trotted over to join me.

"Alright boys, here the keys to the house," AJ said in her heavily accented voice as she handed a ring of keys the two pegasi guards, "Help yerself to the fridgirator, but don't go taking everything. We'll be back in a jiffy." The two pegasi gave her grateful smiles as they trotted towards the house.

"Nice move," I muttered as we began to trot down the dirt road.

Applejack shrugged, "Least I could do. I mean, I puked at least every five minutes on the ride, and I can't imagine that coulda been too pleasant," she said nonchalantly. I chuckled in agreement as we left the old house behind. For a few minutes silence engulfed the pair of us, the only noise being our hoofs scuffing up dirt. Then AJ spoke again, but in a much lower tone.

"She musta run into trouble on the road," AJ said quietly, "So keep yur eyes peeled." I swallowed nervously, not knowing what to expect. Had she been kidnapped? Hurt? The thought of death didn't even dare to cross my mind, but it was still a possibility, tucked away behind loads of others. Healthy ponies didn't just up and die in Equestria, so there was no possible reason for me to suspect it.

"What's that?" AJ snapped me out of my thoughts. Her voice had a slight tremor to it. I followed her gaze and sucked in a breath. A lump of minty blue fur laid in the middle of the path a distance away. It couldn't be Apple Cider; she couldn't be dead. It was all a hallucination that I would wake up from. But the lump in of fur in the pathway didn't disappear. I didn't wake up. How could the mare have just...died?

"What is that?!" Applejack's voice was cracking with panic now, "It can't be Apple Cider. It can't. She ain't dead. She ain't dead!"

"Applejack, calm down-" I said, trying to sound as soothing as possible, but the farm pony whirled on me, her eyes wild.

"SHE AIN'T DEAD!" Applejack screamed, turning around and racing towards the light blue lump of fur. I raced after her, feeling my gut drop. _I should have never let Applejack come with, not when I knew that a pony could be in danger, more specifically one of Applejack's own relatives._

"She ain't dead!" Applejack sobbed, tears running down her face as she collapsed next to the still form of her second cousin," She cain't be dead. She just cain't."

"Applejack, hush," I said, stroking her mane. I looked up at the dead mare. She was definitely dead, about as dead as they get. There were small wounds covering her entire body, streaking it in blood. Her sapphire blue eyes were wide open in death, making me unsettled, but the most chilling part about her still form was that her mouth was open wide in a silent scream of terror.

"She cain't be dead…" Applejack whispered, tears flowing from her eyes like waterfalls and landing in the dead mare's fur. I laid down next to my friend, pressing against her. She pressed back, both of us finding comfort from the contact. As she continued to sob, turning from the dead girl and instead burying her face in my shoulder, I felt a chill run up my spine. This was no ordinary death. This mare hadn't died of disease or age.

She had been murdered.

**A/N: Too dark for a pony story? Hopefully not! Did I do alright with the ponies? Any feedback is much appreciated. :) Please read and review! Constructive criticism is also always welcome, so don't be shy. ;)**

**~Aqua**


	3. Chapter 2

**Hi! I've finally written my chapter for this! Hooray! So, this is kind of gonna be a fill-in-the-gaps chapter to bring Sunset Shimmer up to speed with Twilight Sparkle time-wise. So, technically, these events take place before the previous chapter. Hopefully that's not too confusing, haha. But anyway, there will be a lot of skipping around throughout the chapter, I'm sorry about that, but it was kind of neccesary in order to not drag Sunset Shimmer's "waiting for the portal" too long. **

**Oh, and I _did _take Rainbow Rocks into account while writing this, so be warned, there may be minor spoilers for that...**

**Hope you like it! ~Heartsky**

**I do not own My Little Pony**

I walk through the woods early in the morning, taking my time and letting the warmth of the sun soak into my skin.

It's like a dream in here. So serene and quiet, just the chirps of birds and the occasional chitter of a squirrel. The leaves on the trees look as if someone spilled a sunset all over them; they're all such warm colors. They kind of match my hair.

I try to relax and enjoy how lovely all of it is, but I can't. My stomach is churning and my head is racing. Last Friday was the fall formal, as well as the fateful day that a raging she-demon was defeated.

And that raging she-demon was me.

Now it's Monday. The first day back after the...err, "big event". I've barely gotten any sleep all weekend, I've been so busy worrying about how this day will go. It's absolutely terrifying.

I'm sure everyone hates me. They have the right to. That's why I've mapped out a plan for my day, a way to attract as little attention to myself as possible.

First off, this pathway through the woods is the safest way for me to walk to school. Very few people ever use this path except for Fluttershy, and I know I don't need to worry about her giving me grief. She's not the type. I have also decided which hallways I should take to get from class to class and where to sit in each class so as to be noticed as little as possible. I won't offer to answer any questions the teachers ask. I won't try to mingle. In my spare time, I'll shove my face into a book. It's the perfect plan.

But none of that will matter in light of what I have to do this morning. There's no way that what I am obligated to do won't attract attention.

I finally reach the edge of the forest, the school in full view in the clearing ahead. I stop walking and stare, hesitant to leave the forest. It's a safe place, a sanctuary. The moment I step out of it, I'm vulnerable. God only knows what I'll have to deal with today. I'd give anything to hide forever.

But that's not an option. I can't run from this. Besides, I see Principal Celestia standing on the front steps waiting for me. Who knows what she'll do if I don't show up?

I sigh, re-adjust the bag on my shoulder, and step into the battlefield.

* * *

As I begin spreading mortar onto bricks and placing them on the broken wall of the entrance to the school, Celestia nods in approval. "See, you'll do fine."

"Uh, yeah, I guess so." I say quietly as I look past her to see that other students are approaching the school. "I really don't want to do this…" I mutter to myself.

Celestia looks at me sternly. "Sunset Shimmer, _you_ made this mess, now _you_ need to clean it up. If you were truly sorry for what you did, you would understand that!"

I cringe at how quick she is to doubt me. "No, that's not what I meant! I'd be happy to lay bricks for the rest of my life if it meant I'd be forgiven for what I did. I just wish I didn't have to do it...in front of the school. Where everyone can see me."

Celestia sighs. "I can understand that, Sunset Shimmer, but this the part of the school you destroyed, so it's the part you need to fix. Anyway, Snips and Snails should be here fairly soon. Then at least you won't be working alone, right?"

I nod at her in agreement, but inwardly I'm shouting, "NO!" They shouldn't have to help. They're little kids! They shouldn't have to do this sort of hard labor.

But I know Celestia would just say that they helped do the damage, so they have to help fix it.

But it's not their fault! It's _mine_! I was a bad influence to them. They didn't know any better. They were open and vulnerable, just like I was when…

Suddenly, Equestria comes flashing into my mind again. Those lights...what if they're already destroying Equestria? I wish I could go there and warn them so hard it hurts.

But there is no way back. Not now. I know this in my heart. _Please, please let Equestria survive. Please._

It's then that I realize there's no point in worrying about it now. I'm going to be stuck in this world for a while, I may as well focus on the problems here and try not to think about what's going on back home for now. All it will do is drive me crazy.

Celestia leaves to go do...whatever it is principals do, and I continue working. I can hear people walk past me and into the school, as well as see them out of the corner of my eye. Many of them look at me and then quickly look away and begin whispering to each other.

I can't help but catch snippets of what they are saying. It's practically impossible not to. Other than the scraping of my trowel against the bricks, their whispers are the only noise. It's as quiet as a graveyard.

"That girl...demon...hurt us?!"

"Can't believe...still attending...should be expelled…"

"...what she deserves...taste...own medicine…"

"She...boys...practically felons."

I grit my teeth in an attempt to keep myself from making any snide remarks back at them. _Just let the words slide off your back, like water over a duck's feathers…_ I just have to take whatever the other students give me; any show of anger on my part will set everyone off. They'd freak out.

A little while later, I hear footsteps approaching me. I turn around to see Snips and Snails. "Hey guys." I say haltingly, unsure of how they will respond. Do they hate me now for getting them into trouble?

But they give me small smiles. "Hey, Sunset Shimmer."

Snails looks at the section of wall I've finished so far. The mortar is uneven and some of the bricks are crooked, but he decides to be kind. "The wall looks good so far, Sunset Shimmer! I just hope we're able to do as good."

I bite my lip. "Well...the bricks are really heavy, so I figured you guys could spread the mortar on them and _I_ could lift the bricks and put them in place."

Snips huffs. "But Sunset Shimmer, we're strong enough to lift them!" He flexes his chubby blue arm grandly.

Snails nods. "Yeah! Besides, we wouldn't wanna make the _lady_ do all the heavy lifting!"

So chivalrous. I smile, holding back a giggle to spare them their pride. "I don't know, guys…"

But they aren't listening. Snips is already trying to lift a brick. He gets it a little ways off the ground, then grunts as he drops it again. "Holy tamales! What are those things made of?!"

"Mostly clay, I think." I answer. "Are you okay?"

Snips nods, and looks at the ground, ashamed. "Umm…"

I put a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright. I can lift them. I've already been doing it for a while, so I know I can."

"But...but…" Snails begins to plead.

"It's okay. You'll still be helping a lot by spreading the mortar, okay?"

Both boys sigh, defeated. "Okay."

So all three of us go to work; them slathering the mortar onto the bricks, and me picking them up and placing them where they need to go on the wall. Soon, the voices of the other students slowly seem to fade into the background for me, replaced by Snips and Snails lively chatter. I smile. What the other students are saying doesn't matter at the moment. We're regaining our honor together. That's what matters.

* * *

This time, I don't hear the footsteps approaching me. I'm bending over to pick up a brick, and Snips and Snails are busy spreading mortar on bricks, so they don't notice it either. Suddenly, I feel a foot make contact with my back. Pain shoots through my spine and I let out a yelp as I fall onto my stomach.

I sit up and try to wipe the dirt from my face. My eyes are watering so I can't see very well, but I hear feet scuffling and then yelling. "What'd ya do THAT for?"

"She deserved it, after what she did."

"No she didn't, you jerk! Sunset Shimmer's the most awesome person ever!"

I quickly stand up and wipe my eyes to see what's going on. Snips and Snails are yelling at someone, presumably the person who kicked me.

"The most awesome person ever? Ha! She's a-"

I'd rather not repeat what they said next. Let's just say that Snips and Snails looked a little confused afterward, but seemed to pick up on the fact that I was being insulted. Very harshly.

"Hey! D-don't talk like that about her! If you mess with Sunset Shimmer, you mess with us!" Snips raises his fists as if he's going to fight the one who kicked me.

"Yeah!" Snails adds and raises his fists as well.

I'll have to give them a talk about not getting into fights later, but for now, I can't help but feel a surge of affection for them. I don't know why they're so loyal to me, even after the trouble I've caused them. But they are, and it's wonderful to know that when so many others will constantly question me for a long time.

I quickly get up and make my way over to them, wincing with every step I take from the pain in my back. I place a hand on each boys' shoulder.

"Guys, we can't get into fights with other people."

"But Sunset Shimmer, he...he said something bad about you...at least I'm pretty sure it was bad. That wasn't right."

I sigh. "Listen...I've done some pretty awful stuff, and he's mad at me. Fighting him will only make him angrier. We have to...we have to try to behave now." It's hard to find the right words to say to them. How do I explain the situation and how they should deal with it?

"Just...come on. Let's go. The warning bell just rang, so class is starting soon."

The three of us turn and begin to walk away, but the angry teen won't be satisfied unless he gets the last word. "That's right, go and hide with the little _retards_!"

I freeze.

Suddenly I wish I could turn back into a she-demon.

I whirl around, stomp over to that...that _idiot.._.grab him by the shirt collar, and pull his face near mine.

"Alright, I don't care what you say or do to me. Whatever. I get it, I deserve it. But I will NOT sit back while you call them names like that. Don't you _ever_ call them retards _again_." I'm practically hissing at him.

He gets the message. He acted as if he were ten feet tall before, but now he's practically shrinking down to the ground and he looks as if he thinks I'm about to kill him. "Alright, alright, whatever, just let me go, you freak!"

I release him and he rushes into the school like a startled deer.

Snips' and Snails' mouths are hanging open as they stare at me. Suddenly I feel awful. I was trying to tell them not to pick fights with people, but I went and blew up at that guy.

"...I...we...you…" Snips stares at me, blinking in surprise.

"...you always pushed people around...you seemed so powerful and cool...but _that_...that was different. Somehow, it was..._more_ awesome." Snails mutters in a daze.

I feel relief flood through me as I realize that what I did worked out alright. Snails has the right idea. It's better to use the strength you have to defend others rather than to use it to shove them down.

Maybe there is hope for those two. Maybe they don't have to be the wayward kids who latch onto bullies. Maybe they don't have to become bullies themselves.

Maybe they just need someone to give them guidance.

* * *

Time passes. The leaves fall off of the trees, and snow falls, piles up, and melts. As winter comes and goes, things settle down. The boys and I get to a point where we can't continue fixing the entrance to the school without using a ladder, and Celestia determines that would be too dangerous, so she hires someone to fix the rest of the entrance. Instead, we start doing various chores for the teachers to make up for not being able to fix the whole wall.

People are a little more accustomed to seeing me around school. I don't get kicked by anyone anymore and most of the whispering about us has died down. Most people try to be polite to me, although things are still rather awkward. But at least my situation had improved.

I tend to kinda hang around with the girls that Twilight Sparkle had spent time with while she was here. Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Fluttershy...yeah, those are their names. They're nicer and more welcoming than most other students, you know, actually letting me hang out with them and all, but things are still kind of weird between us. Oh well.

When I'm not with them I either spend time with Snips and Snails or just kind of keep to myself. I'm not sure when exactly it happened, but somehow we've became really close friends. I mean, they already looked up to me and were some of the few people who didn't hold some sort of quiet grudge against me. They've sort of started to feel like little brothers.

Between homework, helping out around school, dealing with awkward social situations, and trying to be a good influence to Snips and Snails, the events of the night Twilight and her friends defeated me started to seem sort of remote. I'll never forget it, of course, but the exact details...they've started to get blurry. I'm starting to have doubts.

What if...what if those lights...what if they _were_ fireflies? Maybe my eyes had been playing tricks on me…maybe Equestria isn't in any danger at all.

I can't know for sure, but...it's possible I panicked for nothing.

* * *

Starswirl the Bearded was an idiot.

That's all I can think right now, after all we've just been through. I don't dare say it out loud, though. Twilight Sparkle would have a fit.

But really, why in Equestria did he banish the sirens here rather than to Tartarus? I suppose maybe he thought that banishing them to a completely different world would be more permanent, but...didn't he think about the fact that there might be living beings in the other world and the sirens could cause problems for them as well?

Maybe he did think of that, and he just didn't care. Ouch. That's cold. Anyway, they resurfaced and had to be dealt with...again. It's rather irritating.

Oh well. It's over now.

I pick up a piece of their broken necklaces off of the stage and smile. These necklaces must have been the source of their power. Now, they're no more dangerous than any other teenager. Which, you know, is still dangerous, but...this world will be able to handle it.

The others are gathered around me, smiling. Suddenly, Flash Sentry runs up to Twilight Sparkle, yelling about how awesome we were and hugging her. They both blush awkwardly and everyone giggles, including me, although I can't help but feel an ache in my heart.

I'm not exactly jealous, because what I said to Rarity earlier was true: I never _liked_ him. To me, he's a ghost, a shadow of someone I once knew, but he's not the same person...or should I say, not the same _pony._

By now, I've made up my mind that when I thought I saw those lights all those months ago, I must have been seeing things. Twilight Sparkle hasn't said a word about any impending disaster, nothing about anyone acting weird or being mysteriously injured.

I'm relieved, although I'm still beating myself up for forgetting about the diary I used to communicate with Celestia. If I had just remembered I had it, I could have written to them right away, but I didn't.

Oh well. No harm done. Nothing happened. Everyone...err, every_pony_...is safe.

I think about all I've gone through, and when Twilight leaves for Equestria, I decide to stay. It's not that I don't want to go back. I miss that place like crazy, and it will always be home to me.

But I've gone through so much to recover from what I did in this world...I've finally managed to gain some people's trust, and I've gotten used to things here...I don't really want to go back to Equestria and go through that all over again. And Celestia..._Princess_ Celestia, not Principal Celestia...I don't know if I can face her. It's been so long...and I betrayed her. No. It's better to stay here. Stay where I have some stability.

But at least now Twilight's worked out a way to keep the portal open, so if I ever change my mind...there's a way back.

Maybe. Maybe someday. But not yet.

**Aaaand there you go! Sort of a filler chapter, but it was kind of neccesary. Anyway, Sunset Shimmer should start to get more involved in the main plotline after this chapter, so yaaay! Hope you liked the chapter!  
**

**Aqua, it's your turn!**


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